Thursday, 9 July 2015

Sleep and Dreams: The Other Side of Us?

So little is known about sleep and dreams that for me it represents the greatest mystery of all. Yet we take it for granted. While many people promote the use of DMT and other substances to 'expand' conciousness, what about using our dreams to do this?

Do we literally enter another world when we sleep and begin to dream? Rather than it being an 'altered' state of consciousness, is it an actual experiential reality we enter, and are the people and entities which we experience in dreams and nightmares as real as the ones we experience during our waking hours?

12 comments:

Activities in dreams cover hours compared to the short time asleep. Is consciousness sped up ? Are we recharging consciousness as we plug in to sleep? Would love to hear others personal experiences and more done on this fascinating topic.

“I have dreamed a dream, but now that dream has gone from me”I believe the key to dreams lies in the first stirrings of consciousness, when the waking mind has not yet been fully actualized. The moment when we seemingly exist in two worlds simultaneously, and images, sensations, thoughts and emotions are still somewhat visible to the mind’s eye, very much like the rear projection technique pioneered by Stanley Kubrick. As I have previously stated, my own knowledge is I believe firstly intuitive, but also experiential, and I have witnessed this type of phenomenon firsthand, as I am sure many of you have also, to some extent or another. In my own case being roused into wakefulness by what I took to be an intruder, invoked an appropriate fight or flight response. The fact that I chose the former, is neither here nor there, but I wouldn’t recommend trying to box the ears of an entity who retrospectively was clearly only visible as a manifestation of light in a completely darkened room. What I’m trying to impart is that dream work requires a brave stout heart, and a type of inquisitive courage above and beyond the norm. As such, I would recommend the use of the old Bene Gesserit ‘Litany against fear’ from Frank Herbert’s masterful Dune series, as it could perhaps be used as a useful tool in situations where the conscious mind simply shuts down and ceases to function from fear of the unknown.“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain”Cheers

Hi Thomas, when I was 23 years old I had an encounter with a dark entity in a platinum refinery. For years I searched for any information that could help me identify what I saw, but found nothing. I never stopped searching. Years later I found the exact description of what I saw in a book by an author who was exposed as a fraud. It was Castaneda's description of a flyer, or voladores. Oh man, it was shamanism, and I got scared. I still don't know what to make of it, because if he was a fraud, how could he so accurately describe something I saw with my own eyes? I read the book and tried his "healing" exercise in the chapter "The art of dreaming", perhaps out of morbid curiosity and did not expect anything. I followed the instructions and dreamed about future events, an important date, and secret, unknowable things in my personal life. Then it all happened in real life, and I was afraid to try it again. It was really uncanny and disturbing, but also victorious and truimphant at the same time, because I knew the outcome of a life-changing attack on my life and very soul beforehand. The chapter further teaches how to enter deeper into dreams, and make contact with the flyers, who do not have control over our subconscious mind, but are predators of the conscious mind. I know it sounds nuts. The aim is to gain control over the flyer's powers. The shaman's secret. I'm not interested in power or immortality, so I have not tried going deeper yet. And the thought of facing a flyer again makes my heart stop, especially in dreams where control is mostly lost. It's been about 2 years since my "first" dream of this kind. It's very different to normal dreaming. I have a need to "dream"again soon, though as a creative person I dream normal dreams all the time, but I am still very apprehensive. Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated. Kind regards, EM, South Africa

The books of Castaneda had to be published as fiction. There was nothing like them on the market back when they were published. Very controversial.

But, whether they were fiction or not, we can ascertain their relevance by enquiring from other masters.Personally I have experienced personally about 50% of what is described in the books.From Buddhist masters and shaman I have heard many stories that are similar to Castaneda's writings.So, about 90% of it is verified from 2nd hand experiences.

Now, you must understand that these books were written from Castaneda's view point. He was shown many things to expand his awareness. However, he did not have the wisdom and understanding to fully describe what Don Juan was doing.So, understand the view point, and know that there is a great amount omitted. Still, it is great reading to open the mind to more world.

This is my first post. Not sure what I'm doing with the blog just yet, hence no ID.

There might be some significance that I heard this broadcast at this time. For years now I've had sleep trouble and wake up startled - often yelling. My dreams about certain places keep recurring. While I would certainly not describe them as nightmares, they are uncomfortable, uneasy and empty in a way that is often described on here.

Today I felt incredibly flat and low and wondered if it was all some kind of psychic attack. Then I came home and stumbled on your article on psychic attacks. It brought to mind ten years of a specific kinds of misfortune and actual attacks from potentially violent or dangerous people or groups - also putting my work at risk - when I had done nothing wrong whatsoever - were down to this.

About a month before and after my father passed away 2 years ago, my sleep became sound and dreams were good. Then the problem returned.There's so much more to say, but I don't want to bore other readers with it.

In the broadcast you mention an e-mail link to contact you, but I can only see the blog and the link for events and media only. Any advice on these topics and which of your books they're best covered in would be much appreciated.

ive taken an interest in the increase in electrosmog, and it often seems that the gadgets in peoples homes put out for more radiation than they need to. eg. routers come with instructions not to be turned off, wifi speakers that continuously pump out high levels even if you never play any music.(no standby mode)

Perhaps im being paranoid, but its not a big stretch to think that this electrosmog affects sleep/dream quality in some way?

i just remembered... in the 70s scifi novel 'the word for world is forest' Ursula K Le Guin, depicts an avatar-esque scenario where the indigineous (now enslaved) people have a complex lore whereby the dream state is treated as equally important to waking reality. After the novel was published someone pointed out the similarity between her fictional race and the Senoi people of Malaysia.

theres a brief mention on wikipedia (notice Esalen have taken an interest) this is C&P from the introduction to the novel;

'breakfast in the Senoi house is like a dream clinic, with the father and older brothers listening to and analysing the dreams of the children. When the Senoi child reports a falling drea, the adult answers with enthusiasm "that is a wonderful dream, one of the best dreams a man can have. Where did you fall to, and what did you discover?'*

'They have a built in system of inter-personal relations which, in the field of psychology, is perhaps on a level with our attainments in such areas as television and nuclear physics' *

'It appears that the Senoi have not had a war, or a murder, for several hundred years. There they are, 12,000 of them... .. Or there they were in 1935 - perhaps. Kilton Stewarts report on them has had no profeswsional sequels that i know of.'

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It is a strange thing indeed when we create something and then only to live in fear of it. I suspect that at some subconscious level we know how volatile and terrifying the magic of the creative process can be and these things become our own Frankenstein Monsters. A Golem we forged from the mud of our lives that can either serve or consume us.

I am not an activist. I would not waste my time on activism. I just keep throwing 'it' out there and if people want to run with it great. If not, that's their own freewill and good luck to them. I also expect to get zero validation or social change created as an effect of my work. I am aware of my limitations and my energy is precious.

Once a tiny number of folks are looking at 'reality' from alternative viewpoints then all good. I am not expecting them to do anything about it. No reason why they should.

I subscribe to the Nietzschean idea that the absolute Truth is unattainable and that all language is ultimately metaphor. Therefore, one person's 'Truth' can easily be another person 'Lie' and I am not interested in suffering for semantics.

Gaba Gaba Hey!

Thomas Sheridan is an independent alternative artist, author, satirist, comedy writer, musician, public speaker and researcher currently based in the West of Ireland. His illustrations have appeared on the cover of newsstand magazines, books and websites worldwide. He is the author of The Anvil of the Psyche and several other titles.

The Anvil of the Psyche looks at social manipulation through popular culture and marketing. Thomas has also been featured in several films and documentaries. In 2012, following a virtual book-burning fiasco—a kind of flying-saucer fatwa—by fanatical members of an obscure alien worshipping religious group, Sheridan turned his attention to documentary making and film production concerning mind control, free speech and other consciousness rights issues.

In October 2013, Sheridan was asked to give a lecture to the Irish Mental Health Professionals on Psychopathology in Popular Culture and within the Corridors of Power, along with profiling and spotting the dangers posed by extremist terror/death cults embedded within the New Age/Alternative movement. The 2012 Salman Rushdie-style attack on Sheridan resulted in a huge upsurge in interest with Sheridan's work, which now reaches into both alternative and mainstream audiences.

"When I was a Teen in school, some absurd QUANGO named The Youth Council of Ireland or something like that came to our school and we did a survey. One of the questions was: 'How Would You Describe Your Own Life?' and I wrote: "boredom and unhappiness occasionally interrupted by brief spams of contentment." That was a very honest answer.

In later life, I began to see how poignant that answer was, as I became increasingly more contented, then occasionally happy and sometimes very happy. But here is the clincher. I MADE THIS EVOLUTION HAPPEN FOR ME. There was no God, Government Policy, Cult, Other Person or Product which made me less unhappy.

Instead of expecting an ideal world where everyone wakes up and we get Heaven on Earth - it's the responsibility of you as an individual to make Hell less miserable for YOU as an individual. Then spread information on what made it less shitty which might help others, and if they ignore it then that's OK too. They have freewill.

Welcome to my eh 'classic' blog. Unlike others in this field of research, I'm not hiding my name or personal history, agenda behind a pseudonym. Not associated, and never has been with doomsday religions/sects, or using 'recovery' forums as feeder operations/reciprocal arrangements with notorious mind-control flying saucer death religions placing forum members in great danger. In fact, I have left forums when I found out this was their agenda. Recovery groups/books by people who hide their real identity are unaccountable, and therefore not trustworthy. Their own life history is hidden, while they viciously and very personally trash others with impunity. They are not safe places for heterosexual men especially. Erotomania and Munchhausen by Proxy is epidemic on such groups. On these groups the only criteria for someone being a 'psychopath' is a person just being the Ex of these people. These groups are often run by people who never encountered a genuine 'psychopath' in their lives. They were just DUMPED by their Ex is all. It's not a healthy environment for genuine targets seeking help.

I do not run psychotic and vicious personal smear campaigns while screaming hysterically about being an 'empath' behind a unknown identity. I do not pitch men and women against each other as part of their 'recovery'. Some 'recovery' groups are run by unstable, completely self-absorbed train-wrecks who are often lying about their abuse. I see the psychopath issue as a cross-gender one.

I just give free help and mostly free information to any one who needs it without the amateur dramatics and 'me, me' me!' self-absorption. What you see is what you get. Useful, Interesting and Helpful Information. No Professional Drama Queen Histrionics or Hate. Lots of Good Humour and Free Help.

The Cathars and Gnostics were probably correct - this is Hell and we can't make Heaven out of it. Only make the bullshit less painful. Understand the world is a nasty place, but try not to be an self-absorbed idiot about it.

Now for the Nitty-Gritty - if you want a mature, non-witch hunt, non histrionic introductory to the world of psychopaths (sociopaths) and how to avoid and recover from the horrific devastation they leave in their wake...LOOK HERE>>>